An item referred to the newspaper London Standard reporting that Germany intended to promote Wilhelmshaven to the major naval base. The reason for this decision was that the distance between Wilhelmshaven and the North Sea was less than between Kiel and the North Sea. The North Sea was the possible area where the German fleet had probably to act in the future. At Wilhelmshaven were now large docks construction and other important facilities under constructed to be completed at the end of 1908.